:: twelve buzz-worthy boston bartenders ::

MC Slim JB bestowed a great honor by including me in his article Pouring Reign: Twelve Buzz-worthy Boston Bartenders Spill All in the Improper Bostonian. The magazine itself comes out Monday but the online version came out last night! Check out the link for the interviews and the photos of myself and 11 other Boston bartenders who Slim picked out, but here are some of the interview questions that ended up on the cutting room floor (or were greatly abridged):

Measure or free-pour?
I originally thought I was only going to jigger everything, but after working a few busy brunches, I got tired of the amount of washing it took to get all traces of serrano pepper-infused mezcal that we use in our Mezcal Mary out of a jigger. I tested out my free pour, and my count is pretty solid for a 2 ounce pour. I will not free pour for anything other than simple drinks like Highballs and Bloody Marys though.

Most annoying customer behavior?
Impatience, feelings of entitlement, and lack of sense of humor when things get busy. If guests want a more perfect experience, they should go on the off hours and slower nights. Then again, that suggestion would fall on deaf ears to those types.

What’s the best day of the week and time of day for a customer to engage you in a leisurely, educational five-minute conversation about drinks?
Lately, I work mostly day shifts during the week that only can get busy during the lunch burst and the pre-dinner rush. Still, I can generally find time to talk to guests at length save for some Fridays, holidays, and brunch shifts, especially if they are fine with interruptions as I attend to drink tickets and other guests. (Postnote: since I did the interview, I gained a semi-regular Wednesday night 6-10pm shift -- check the OnTheBar app for confirmation.)

What’s your typical end-of-shift drink?
When I have worked nights, it has been Fernet Branca and/or a shift beer from our bottle and cans collection. During the day, my shift drinks have to be done elsewhere. Often, I just wait until I get home, but on a bad day, it's often stopping in somewhere close by or on the way home for a beer unless I can think of an out of the way place that has a new cocktail on their menu to check out for the blog.

Dr. Bartender, what’s the best cure for my hangover?
For settling the stomach, ginger beer or Angostura Bitters works well, as does dried candied ginger. For the headache, Advil and coffee will be your friend. Getting fluids is key, but water alone will not provide the lost electrolytes. I am a fan of toughing it out, but if the malaise cannot be shaken by mid-afternoon, sometimes a single drink can even things out.

What bartender or bar manager, currently working or retired, is your first-ballot lock for entry into Boston’s Bartending Hall of Fame?
John Gertsen for having a vision and enacting on it to elevate Boston’s stature in the cocktail world, and Josh Childs for showing that keeping it simple and focusing on warmth and hospitality is just as important as what is in the glass if not more so.

Offer a sentence or two of advice to aspiring bartenders:
Two sayings that stick in my head are Sam Treadway's "Bartending is about watering down spirits and babysitting adults" and John Gertsen’s "If you know where everything lives and know how to smile, you'll be a great bartender." Both of those sayings remove the ego-driven ideals that plague a lot of bartenders, for a great bartender is one that makes the guests feel special and not one that reinforces the idea that the bartender is the star. And lastly, always keep learning. Read, taste, discuss. And know when guests just want a drink instead of even a hint of pleasantries much less a lecture.

Say a few words about your most influential bartending mentor; name them if you like, too:
I would be remiss if I did not name Sam Gabrielli who helped shape me from a restaurant industry newbie into a bartender. I am also thankful for fellow bartender Adam Hockman; when I have complained about certain situations, instead of just giving me a "that sucks" reply, he offers solid advice gathered from his years of experience behind the stick.

What's the most surprisingly useful life skill that bartending has taught you?
Always be closing. Bartending is a job that relies on salesmanship, and less about glorified ideals. Success at previous jobs meant completing projects by a deadline, but that was not tied to my salary which was pretty much fixed. One of the barbacks agreed that learning to close is an important life skill, whether for money or for romance, that should be learned as early in life as possible. Indeed, the movie Glengarry Glen Ross has taught me that coffee’s for closers.

d.c. flip

3/4 oz Plantation 3 Star Silver Rum
3/4 oz Old Monk Rum
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
3/4 oz Cocchi Americano Rosa
1/2 oz Grenadine
1 Egg

Shake once without ice and once with ice. Strain into a cocktail glass, twist an orange peel over the top, and garnish with freshly grated cinnamon.
For my final drink at West Bridge, I requested the D.C. Flip from bartender Chris Danforth for I had not had an egg drink in quite a while. Chris described how the Flip as a collaborative effort of a few of the bartenders; moreover, he explained that the "D.C." stands for District of Columbia as a riff on the El Presidente. Once prepared, the D.C. Flip greeted the nose with orange oil and cinnamon notes. A creamy sip shared fruit flavors from the grenadine and Cocchi Americano Rosa, and it led into a rum, clove spice, and lime swallow. Over time, the cinnamon from the garnish entered into the flavor profile on the finish.

blow-up

1 oz Tanqueray Gin
1 oz Dimmi Liqueur
1 oz Amaro del Capo
1 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth

Stir with ice and strain into a cocktail glass. Twist a lemon over the top.
For Andrea's first drink at West Bridge, she asked bartender Chris Danforth for the Blow-Up. Chris described how it was a creation of bartender Mike Fleming, but I neglected to ask if it was named after the late 1960s film. Once mixed, the Blow-Up shared a lemon aroma that led into a grape sip with bright citrus notes. Next, the swallow offered the gin followed by the amaro's caramel giving way to an herbal and menthol finish. Indeed, Andrea commented how this drink would make for a perfect aperitif.

an end to feral days

1 1/2 oz Avuá Amburana Aged Cachaça
1/2 oz Lustau East India Sherry
1/2 oz Amaro del Capo
1/2 oz Averna
2 dash Mole Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
Two Wednesdays ago after my double shift, I met up with Andrea at West Bridge for a drink. The cocktail that I requested from bartender Chris Danforth was the An End to Feral Days. Chris described how this was his drink and how the cachaça aged in amburana wood gave an interesting spice and smoothness that made it easier for mixing in straight spirits drinks instead of needing to resort to the more common citrus-driven ones. Once mixed, the An End to Feral Days offered a funky grass aroma with dark herbal notes. A grape and caramel sip led into a funky grass and grape swallow with minty and herbal accents.

laughing boy

1 1/2 oz Plantation Barbados 5 Year Rum
1/2 oz Carpano Antica Sweet Vermouth
1/2 oz Fernet Branca
1/2 oz Amaro Meletti
1 dash House Aromatic Bitters
1 dash House Orange Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass with a large cube. Garnish the ice cube with a pinch of salt and garnish the drink with a lemon twist.

Two Mondays ago, we stopped into Deep Ellum for dinner. For a cocktail, I selected the Laughing Boy which just appeared on their menu. The pairing of Fernet Branca and Meletti stood out for it is one that bar owner Max Toste rather enjoys, and the drink did remind me of the one I dubbed the Brooklyn Roasting Company. Instead of coffee notes in that one, this one had sweet vermouth and utilized the salt on the ice cube trick made famous in the Little Giuseppe.
The Laughing Boy offered lemon oil aroma over that of aged rum notes. A caramel sip from the amaros gave way to the dark rum on the beginning of the swallow. Finally, the swallow finished with a medley of herbal, menthol, and floral notes that were softened as the ice melt brought salt into the mix.

two stone

2 oz Rittenhouse Rye
1 oz Lustau East India Sherry
1/4 oz Pierre Ferrand Dry Curaçao
2 dash Angostura Bitters

Stir with ice and strain into a rocks glass. Flame an orange twist over the top.
For my first drink at Merrill & Co., I asked bartender Byron Lepine for the Two Stone which seemed like an interesting riff on a Manhattan that utilized sherry instead of vermouth. Once in a glass, the Two Stone offered an orange and smoke aroma. Grape and malt on the sip led into rye's heat on the swallow followed by an orange and nutty combination and a spice finish.

battle over dutch

1 oz Lustau East India Sherry
1 oz Kronan Swedish Punsch
1/2 oz Tempus Fugit Crème de Cacao
1/2 oz Lemon Juice

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass. Twist a lemon peel over over the top.
Two Sundays ago, Andrea was in the mood to go to Myers & Chang for dinner. Afterwards, we ventured the several blocks walk to visit Merrill & Co. for a nightcap where we were greeted by bartender Byron Lepine. For a start, Andrea requested the Battle Over Dutch which was one that I was eying for the pairing of Swedish Punsch and sherry has worked well together in drinks like the Capetown and Tarpon. Once mixed, it offered a lemon oil aroma over the Swedish Punsch's tea and spice notes. A sweet grape and lemon sip gave way to a swallow filled with the punsch's funk, a light nuttiness from the sherry, and a chocolate finish. The Battle Over Dutch gained a touch of sweetness when it warmed up though, but overall, the ingredients made for a great combination.

power, corruption, & lies

1 1/2 oz Pierre Ferrand Ambre Cognac
3/4 oz Aperol
1/2 oz Velvet Falernum
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 pinch Salt

Shake with ice and strain into a coupe glass.
Two Fridays ago, I desired a drink after my shift so I took a detour down Beacon Street on my way home. That night, Jess Li and Emma Hollander were behind the bar, and it was to be Emma's last Friday night behind the stick. No, she had to explain that she was not leaving Starlite, but switching to a more managerial role while still bartending on Sundays and Mondays. For a first cocktail, I asked Jess for the Power, Corruption, and Lies and inquired if new bartender Tony Iamunno had crafted this one since it was a name he might come up with. Instead, it was Josh Childs who perhaps paid tribute to the 1983 New Order album.
Once mixed, the drink offered a lime and brandy aroma. Citrus combined with fruit notes from the Aperol on the sip, and the swallow began with the Cognac and ended with an Aperol and falernum's clove finish. I would be curious to taste this one with and without the salt to figure out how it modified the flavor components in this very drinkable Tiki-style libation.

endicott cobbler

1 1/2 oz Lustau Dry Amontillado Sherry
1 1/2 oz St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur
1 oz Averna
2 dash Peychaud's Bitters

Build in a Collins glass and gently stir. Fill with crushed ice and gently stir again. Add a straw and garnish with an orange twist.

For the new cocktail menu at Russell House Tavern, bar manager Sam Gabrielli commented that he liked the sherry drinks that I made for certain guests, and he requested that I come up with a Sherry Cobbler for the menu. After tinkering a bit, I became hung up on the equal parts dry amontillado-Cynar combination but could not figure out a third ingredient to round out the drink. One evening after my shift, I wandered down to Brick & Mortar and found a seat in front of Matthew Schrage. When I explained my conundrum, Schrage recommended St. George's Spiced Pear Liqueur and made a half scale version that rather worked. I fixed up the proportions and made a drink for Sam; Sam declared that while he liked the drink, it was a bit on the bitter side for a random guest to order it off the menu. Therefore, I swapped the amaro to Averna, brought the pear forward, and added Peychaud's Bitters to dry it out a touch. For a name, I stuck with the pear theme and paid tribute to the oldest living cultivated fruit tree in North America, the Endicott Pear Tree. The tree resides just north of here in Danvers, MA, and is still producing fruit after being planted 380-plus years ago.
The drink itself went live on the menu last night and was designed not only for flavor but ease and speed for assembly (although perhaps not as quick to build as the Scaffa for my night at the Blue Room). Once assembled, the twist added sweet orange accents to the drink's sweet fruit notes. A caramel and grape sip gave way to a pear, nutty, herbal, and lightly spiced swallow. While it is a touch on the sweeter side at first, it becomes less so with ice melt over time. Overall, I was impressed at how the high acidity of amontillado sherry functioned as a backbone here to build the rest of the drink around. Perhaps the Cobbler would be better in the Fall when pear flavors are more common, but Cobblers are perfect for the upcoming warmer weather.